Bearded dragons, guinea pigs, cats and dogs – including a corgi in a stroller.
Scores of people and their pets gathered at Belmont Shore on Sunday evening, October 3 for their furry friends — and, in some cases, their feathered and scaled friends — blessed by an interfaith collection of religious leaders.
Don and Robin Johnston of Long Beach bring Ms. Bella, the long-haired Chihuahua Silky Terrier Mix, to the annual Interfaith Blessing of the Animals at Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Rabbi Scott Fox of Temple Israel in Long Beach blesses the Barbre family and their dog, Emerson, at an interfaith blessing of animals at Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Lizzette Castro of Burbank displays the 7-year-old bearded dragon Big Boss in an interfaith blessing of animals at Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
West Hollywood’s Pamela Reilly holds her 12-year-old wire-haired Dachshund Miniature Poodle mix, Harley, at Interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Orange County Goddess Temple Priest Anna Dresden blesses a dog at an interfaith blessing of animals in Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
A woman holding the remains of her dog approaches Pastor Samuel Nieva of Compton’s Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church at an interfaith blessing of the animals in Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Pastor Samuel Nieva of the Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church in Compton blesses the remains of a dog at an interfaith blessing of animals in Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Pastor Samuel Nieva of the Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church in Compton blesses a dog at an interfaith blessing of animals in Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Long Beach’s Karen Chae, left, and Verabel Greene display their guinea pigs at an Interfaith Blessing of Animals at Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
The Rev. of the Goddess Temple of Orange County. Ava Park blesses Pamela Reilly of West Hollywood and her 12-year-old wire-haired Dachshund Miniature Poodle Mix Harley in an interfaith Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 3, 2021. in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
The Rev. of the Goddess Temple of Orange County. Ava Park blesses a dog at an inter-religious blessing of animals in Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
The Rev. of the Goddess Temple of Orange County. Bells and a crystal are used to bless a dog on Sunday, October 3, 2021, at an interreligious blessing of animals at Belmont Shore in Ava Park. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Priestess Anna Dresden of Goddess Temple in Orange County blesses Christine Siri of Westminster and her 6-year-old cockatiel, Destroyah, at an Interfaith Blessing of the Animals at Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Orange County Goddess Temple Priest Anna Dresden blesses PG Herman of Long Beach and her 10-year-old Maltese, Hokule, at an interfaith blessing of animals at Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Pastor Samuel Nieva of the Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church in Compton blesses a dog at an interfaith blessing of animals in Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Pastor Samuel Nieva of the Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church in Compton blesses a dog at an interfaith blessing of animals in Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Pastor Samuel Nieva of the Pueblo de Dios Lutheran Church in Compton blesses a dog at an interfaith blessing of animals in Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
The Reverend Dr. David Clark, Senior Pastor of Bay Shore Church, blesses Javier Cantera of Long Beach and his rescued iguana at an Interfaith Blessing of Animals at Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were brought by their owners for an interfaith blessing of animals to Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were brought by their owners for an interfaith blessing of animals to Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were brought by their owners for an interfaith blessing of animals to Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were brought by their owners for an interfaith blessing of animals to Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were brought by their owners for an interfaith blessing of animals to Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were brought by their owners for an interfaith blessing of animals to Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were brought by their owners for an interfaith blessing of animals to Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were brought by their owners for an interfaith blessing of animals to Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, guinea pigs and reptiles were brought by their owners for an interfaith blessing of animals to Belmont Shore on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team has led the annual event since 2002. (Photo by Howard Freshman, contributing photographer)
It was all part of the 19th annual Interfaith Blessing of the Animals, hosted by the Community Action Partnership, a non-profit run by longtime Long Beach event organizer Justin Rudd.
A few hundred pets were blessed by the religious leaders of their owners’ choice, including Catholic priests, pastors of the Lutheran Church of Compton and the United Church of Christ shrines and a rabbi. There was also a priest at the Devi Temple in Orange County.
There were a lot of dogs and cats, as one would expect. But the interfaith assembly was also open to pets of any kind—and people obliged: an iguana, a bearded dragon and a cockatiel were among the fish, birds, reptiles and other animals that were blessed. Some even brought the ashes of their dead pets.
